Overview

What do you do when life overwhelms? Tom learns to lean on God and trust his own instincts. Tom is a bitter twelve-year old whose father is killed in a police drug raid gone bad. During speeches at his father's funeral, he fails asleep and wakes up in the first century on the road to Sepphoris where he meets a young Jesus who introduces himself as Jeez. Together they witness four soldiers escaping the city on horseback. When they reach the city, they learn that Jeez's father, Joseph, has been murdered and a young, Mary Magdalene, has been kidnapped. As witnesses, Tom and Jeez are both drafted by local authorities to pursue the four horsemen and bring them to justice. The pursuit takes them to different villages and towns in Israel (Sepphoris, Nazareth, Megiddo, Jezreel, Sebastian, Shechem, Bethel, Jericho, and Jerusalem). In the process, they brave lions, hyenas, and scorpions, and cope with grief, human trafficking, murder, spiritual warfare, first-century politics, and travel in the ancient world. In spite of his fish-out-of-water status, Tom learns to lean on God and rely on himself. Jeez learns the boundaries of being fully human within the context of relationship. Tom returns to our time a changed person with an appreciation for forgiveness and a growing faith. Premise: Gospel of Luke meets the Wizard of Oz

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9781942199519

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Stephen Hiemstra delivers a compelling blend of adventure, faith, and personal growth in Jeez and the Gentile. This beautifully crafted narrative follows 12-year-old Tom as he navigates profound grief and embarks on a transformative journey. Transported to the first century, Tom's partnership with a young Jeez reveals a world of danger, spiritual discovery, and human resilience. Hiemstra skillfully combines historical richness with emotional depth, painting vivid scenes that immerse readers in ancient Israel while tackling timeless themes of loss, forgiveness, and faith. Tom's journey resonates with both young and adult audiences, reminding us all of the power of leaning on God and finding His strength within ourselves. Eric TeitelmanHouse of David MinistriesJeez and the Gentile allows a fresh perspective on the lost years (ages 12-30) of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke through a fictional road trip through first century Israel. In this sense, it is like the Gospel of Luke meets the Wizard of Oz. During this trip, main characters Jeez and Tom travel assisting the authorities in tracking down murderers. Their challenges along the way allow the reader a personal connection in dealing with tests to our own faith, such as fear, grief, and personal danger. In such situations, we have no choice but to rely on God and lean on him to help us out. Sofia MartinezVideo Blogger (link⁠1)In Jeez and the Gentile, Tom, a twelve-year-old boy, grieving the loss of his father, cries out for a tangible God. He meets the twelve-year-old Jeez in Judea. In this split-time adventure novel, Stephen Hiemstra transports the reader into Biblical times in such a vivid way, that one can almost hear the roar of the lions and the laugh of the hyenas, as Tom meets the tangible God. Sharron GiambancoBusiness Owner, Author 1 https: //youtube.com/@sofiaisabellapiano?si=9rPb8kfDci7CulyD

Author Information

Author Stephen W. Hiemstra lives in Centreville, Virginia with Maryam, his wife of more than forty years. They have three grown children.Stephen worked as an economist for twenty-seven years in more than five federal agencies, where he published numerous government studies, magazine articles, and book reviews. Check WorldCat.org for a complete listing.Stephen has published a six-book, Christian spirituality series. He wrote his first book, A Christian Guide to Spirituality in 2014. In 2016, he wrote a second book, Life in Tension. In 2017, he published a memoir, Called Along the Way. In 2019, he published Simple Faith. In 2020, he published Living in Christ. His sixth book-Image and Illumination-was published in 2023.In 2023, he began his Image of God series with the publication of Image of God in the Parables (2023) and Image of the Holy Spirit and the Church (2023). Image of God in the Person of Jesus (2024) completes this series.Two books from his Christian spirituality series are available in Spanish: Una Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad (2015) and Vida en Tensión (2021). One book from his Image of God series, Imagen de Dios en las Parábolas, is available in Spanish. He also published his first book in German: Ein Christlicher Leitfaden zur Spiritualität (2022).In 2021, he published his debut novella, Masquerade, and rewrote it as a screenplay under the title: Brandishing the Blue. In 2023, he published a sequel, The Detour, and adapted it as a screenplay. In 2024, he published another sequel, Christmas in Havana, which has also been adapted as a screenplay.Stephen published his first hardcover book, Everyday Prayers for Everyday People (2018). He also published an ebook compilation book, Spiritual Trilogy, that year.Stephen has a Masters of Divinity (MDiv, 2013) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. His doctorate (Ph.D., 1985) is in agricultural economics from Michigan State University. He studied in Puerto Rico and in Germany and speaks Spanish and German.Correspond with Stephen at T2Pneuma@gmail.com or follow his blog at http: //www.T2Pneuma.net.If you enjoyed Jeez and the Gentile, please post a review online.

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